Sunday, September 9, 2012

Opens in 11 days at the Seattle Cinerama and showing in 70mm for that week alone! Anyone who knows me and cinema, knows I'm no real fan
of Paul Thomas Anderson. Especially his critically lauded "There Will
Be Blood" and the borderline work of stylistic plagiarism I found the film.
Still though, all signs point to a perfect confluence of
material, actors, subject, form and genre in his newest; the (possibly thinly?) veiled period-drama based on L. Ron Hubbard's founding of Scientology. "The Master".
Obviously the theater is bringing it as a labor of love and/or
fascination, making it one of the shorter runs they've ever had, but I'm
grateful we're getting it in 70mm on that screen at all. Independent funding
allowed the film to happen, due to those close to Hollywood making things difficult for Mr. Anderson: after it was curiously dropped by Universal, it was then backed by Annapurna Pictures founder Megan Ellison
and distributed by the controversy loving Weinsteins. Circuitous
path for sure, but maybe this is how you get art made about a very
wealthy Cult with some of america's highest profile celebrities and
Studio execs at it's core. I find myself unusually compelled by what I
know about this one, and anticipating, hoping for, a about-turn in what I
think of Anderson and his work. The trailers alone bode very, very
well.

Documenting adventures in explorative modern music, film, visual art, architecture, design and performance. Regardless of genre, class or style. Essentially thoughts, reflections and criticism on non-commercial contemporary artforms that come to my attention. Either through witnessing them here in my home city, while traveling abroad, or the journalistic work of others. As well as occasional interjections of existential, experiential, cultural or political enthusiasms and consternations that may crop up along the way. ie; Life.